Comments on: For whom the bell tolls?http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/
Author and historianSat, 17 Sep 2016 22:14:18 +0000hourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1By: Chris Connellhttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-6558
Thu, 13 Sep 2012 22:52:08 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-6558reply to Rottenralf –
Andrewsville was the name of a settlement of erie canal worker housing at 14th street and 2nd Ave in Watervliet. Here’s a photo from the TU of what it currently looks likehttp://www.timesunion.com/default/photo/View-of-Andrewsville-a-neighborhood-of-canal-591429.php
]]>By: Rottenralfhttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-6353
Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:49:49 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-6353Off topic question. I am uploading some Albany Orphan records to my website, and I’ve found two families who children went to orphanages and they lived in Andrewsville, Watervliet. Just where is that? I can only find a map on a google search which shows it along the RR tracks between 19th St. and Watervliet-Shaker road. I can’t find any reference to it in the Landmarks book or the Albany-Schenectady Co. book. Was this a small community? An area where a mill was? A company housing area? Anyone else have a clue, maybe an old photo?
]]>By: Don Dreweckihttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5926
Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:45:06 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5926Leo Freebus writes: “The Federal govenment has no money – we borrow it from Chinese banks. Stop making this a federal issue.”

Of the total American debt of $14 trillion, only one-tenth of that is to China. Another tenth is to Japen. Nearly $7T we owe TO OURSELVES. Yes, the vast majority of American debt is to AMERICAN financial institutions.

As for “grocery stores are good” — is there any guarantee that Price Chopped WILL INDEED MOVE TO THE NEW LOCATION? Have they signed any legally-binding agreement?

dd

]]>By: Grocery Stores Are Goodhttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5921
Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:46:53 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5921Watervlietians probably have strong feelings about the idea of the church building coming down. I would think that folks who used to go to St. Patrick’s Church would have even stronger feelings. They have every right to make their voices heard about this, and I thnk I can understand how they might feel. But to me, if this propposal means that Watervliet will get a nice new grocery store, I think it is a good idea.

There are some important points that I would like to make about this. (At least I think they are important.) First off, St. Patrick’s Church is closed. It looks like the Catholic Church has no use for it anymore. I can see how people might have a hard time accepting that, but that’s just the way it is. There aren’t as many people in Watervliet as there used to be, and there probably aren’t as many Catholics, either.

Second, St. Patrick’s Church is beautiful, but it is also old. I would bet that it costs an awful, awful lot of money to heat that place and take care of it.

Third, the Times Union quoted Mayor Michael Manning as saying that there were a lot of people with different ideas about what to do with the church building, but that nobody came up with the money to make any of them happen. I love beautiful buildings as much as the next person, but what is the Catholic Church supposed to do? Leave the church sitting there collecting dust waiting for another church to buy it? Or waiting for somebody else to come up with soime brilliant idea for how to use it? That doesn’t seem fair.

Fourth, in the same article, the Times Union says that building a retail building on the property would make the property taxable . That might really help the city. Cities have a tough time these days. I’m sure Watervliet could use that tax money.

Fifth, the Business Review says that Price Chopper is thinking about putting a new store on the church property. Also, somebody speaking for Price Chopper said that the Price Chopper that’s in Watervliet right now is old and is too small. I have not been to that Price Chopper, so I will have to just take their word for it. If this turns out to be the case, it seems to me that a nice new Price Chopper would be a lot better for the neighborhood than an old boarded-up church, no matter how pretty of a church it is. Nobody wants to see this place end up like St. Joseph’s in Albany, do they? And good grocery stores are important for citites. They create jobs and give people a chance to get healthy food. I think that’s at least as important as a historic building.

Again, I can understand how people in Watervliet might feel about this. What I don’t understand is why these Historic Albany people think they’re doing anyone any favors trying to keep this from happening. Sometimes changes are hard, but that doesn’t mean that they’re bad.

Just my two cents’ worth.

]]>By: Leo Freebushttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5915
Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:18:15 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5915@Don Drewicki – you just made the argument for why we need a smnaller Federal government. Why send your money to Washington only to ask for it back as grants? The Federal govenment has no money – we borrow it from Chinese banks. Stop making this a federal issue.

Watervliet has whored itself to the Great Society, creating housing development after housing development. You reap what you sow. Bring in the welfare state and you bring in the socio-economic and crime with it.

There are downtown revivals happening all over the country. THe Watervliet government needs to look into how to do that. They have taxed businesses right out of town. Price Chopper? They take food stamps and WIC. Rite Aid? Medicare and WIC. Those businesses are ere because they are failproof because of government programs.

]]>By: Don Dreweckihttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5876
Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:45:03 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5876Just One Man writes: “The city just did a full reassessment and almost everyone has seen their taxes go up.”

The reason why “everyone’s” taxes will go up is because the states themselves get far less revenue from the federal government than they used to, because Bush cut taxes on the top 1%. When you tax the super-powerful super-rich less, the states get less; and when the states also cut taxes on the super-powerful super-rich, localities also get less. That’s why _your_ taxes go up, because the folks at the very top pay less than they ever did. Remember Richard Nixon’s revenue sharing plan 40 years ago?

dd

]]>By: Just One Man's Opinionhttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5848
Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:00:55 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5848Watervliet’s 19th St. was just redone with new sidewalks and lighting. As was stated in the article, 19th St. is the main artery of Watervliet so the intended purpose, I assume, was to make Watervliet more appealing to people driving through. I guess another purpose was to possibly bring in new businesses but as someone already stated, it pushed 2 long-standing businesses out; Mr. Subb and Maggie’s Gift Shop.

Mr. Subb had a fire and chose not to renew their lease because it was too high. Now, Mr. Sub, is located in a much nicer space with seating, in Green Island. Maggie’s Gift Shop requested a couple dedicated parking spaces because the new setup is just plain stupid. The city denied them their request so Maggie’s relocated to Latham.

The city doesn’t want to bring in more tax revenue to help lower taxes, they want the extra tax revenue to make sure their family and friends all keep their cushy jobs. It’s a joke. They’re a joke.

The city just did a full reassessment and almost everyone has seen their taxes go up. If they bring in more businesses and raise more tax revenue, are they going to lower the taxes? I highly doubt it.

Just one man’s opinion.

]]>By: mubhttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5835
Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:12:04 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5835The PC at the bridge is sinking into the filled in erie canal basin. If you check out at one the registers toward the west end of the building , you will find that your basket will automatically slide to the west. PC annouce several years ago they wanted to replace the building because of structural problems.

Regarding the drug store across from the Church. It has survived Rite Aide’s coming down the street. I admire the owner of the drug store because they adapted their business a long time ago to the changing world ,branching out into the medical equipment field. PC will not becompetitor there.

St. MAry’s, the artscenter is a stop gap measure until the economy gets better.The ultimate hope is residential. Just how many more art centers can this area support? The ones we have noware ALWAYS
short of cash.

]]>By: ravioliolliehttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5831
Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:08:14 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5831One should go on “holiday” to Europe and see how the older(est) of structures are treated. Instead of tearing them down, the facades are in place with all of their historical glory and the insides of them are every bit as modern as the malls (gosh what a horrible word to attach to a structure) that we have dotted the landscape with. Everytime I happen to drive by Curry Rd. and Altamont Avenue, I remember the older PC there being used while a newer one was being built across the lot. When the new on opened, the other was destroyed to make a parking lot. When will we ever learn???
]]>By: PAThttp://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/for-whom-the-bell-tolls/2121/#comment-5828
Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:42:35 +0000http://blog.timesunion.com/rittner/?p=2121#comment-5828Don this is a great article and you have made me aware of thing that I did not know about St Patricks. I unfortunately live directly across from the former rectory on 6th ave. This whole ordeal has me very concerned. I worry about my health when they begin to tear down the buildings. I have spoken to some people that did the testing on the material within the buildings and it is very scary. Please keep up and I know what you mean about our bishop, “Replace the roof or the church will close”, gave my share of money and guess who LIED1
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